Tuesday, December 22, 2015

The SAFE Coalition is currently working on the Planning phase of the IPFS
(Iowa Partnership for Success) Grant. This requires the completion of a key
document, the Strategic Plan.

The Strategic Plan requires the coalition to
consider the results of the assessment and capacity phases previously completed
this year in Van Buren County. Coalition
members are working during coalition meetings to pinpoint how the community can
best address the priorities of underage drinking and underage binge drinking in
Van Buren County. During this process
the coalition will develop a logic model and action plan to address underage
drinking and underage binge drinking in Van Buren County. The logic model and action plan will include
the strategies the coalition believes will result in a reduction of underage
drinking and underage binge drinking in the county.

The next steps for
the IPFS Grant will be to implement the action plan and strategies in Van Buren
County. For more information on the Partnership for Success funds
you may contact the coalition office at 319-293-6412 or via email
at info@vbsafecoalition.com.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Drunk driving has become a national epidemic. Each year,
drunk-driving crashes kill more than

10,000 people in America. The SAFE Coalition is working with the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this holiday season, to
reach out to all drivers with an important message about this deadly,
preventable crime because Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving!

Let’s say you go to a
New Year’s party, you stay a few hours and have a few drinks. When it’s time to
go, you think to yourself, “I’m fine to drive. I’ve only had a few drinks, and
I barely feel buzzed.” You get in your car and drive toward home. This act places you at risk of facing the
consequences of drunk driving. Buzzed
driving places you and others on the road in danger of a crash; or worse,
death. Designate a sober driver.

Unfortunately, this
scenario is all too realistic. Many people wrongly believe there’s a magic
number of drinks or hours that determine your blood alcohol concentration
(BAC). But it’s different for every
person. Many factors go into the effect alcohol has on your body. Everywhere in
our country, it’s illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher. A major
misconception is that you have to be stumbling around drunk to be over that
limit. For many people, it doesn’t take much alcohol to be too impaired for
driving. NHTSA and the SAFE Coalition are hoping to change the way people think
about drinking and driving, and help everyone realize that there’s no safe
amount of alcohol for any driver.

Drivers convicted of
DUI have many excuses, but the reality they all have in common is this: they
didn’t plan ahead. Designating a sober
driver ahead of time is the only fool-proof way to avoid the dangers of drunk
driving. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to gauge your level of
impairment, it’s already too late. You
might tell yourself and others that you’re “okay to drive” when you’re not.
Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time enough to cause you to
overestimate your own abilities as a driver.

So next time you’re
going to drink, do us all a favor and make a plan. Some simple ideas: leave
your keys at home or give them to a friend; designate a sober driver who isn’t
drinking at all; tell others your intentions about driving and stick to the
plan; and most importantly—once you’ve had anything to drink, do not drive. Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, so make
the choice: are you drinking tonight or are you driving?

Drunk driving is never the right choice, no
matter what. Even if you didn’t plan ahead, there’s always another way home.
You could call a friend or family member to pick you up; and if you’re worried
about leaving your car somewhere overnight, think about the alternative: a DUI
costs about $10,000.

Please remember to
stay safe by driving sober or by designating a sober driver this New Year’s
Eve.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

The holiday season is right around the corner. As Americans
prepare for festivities with family and friends, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration wants to remind all drivers that it’s dangerous to drive
after drinking. You have to choose your role before drinking begins: will you drink or will you drive? Remember,
even if you only have a little bit to drink and think you’re “okay to drive,”
you could still be over the legal limit, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

A lot of folks think they know their own limits. They think
that if they’re just a little ‘buzzed,’ then they’re still good to drive. This
couldn’t be further from the truth. Time and again, drivers who may have only
had a couple of drinks put themselves and others at serious risk. Driving
with any alcohol in your system can be dangerous.

For some people, it doesn’t take much to reach the dangerous level.
The SAFE Coalition really wants all Van Buren Countydrivers to understand that you don’t have to be falling-down drunk
to be impaired to drive. That’s why the SAFE Coalition is working with NHTSA to
spread the message: Buzzed Driving Is
Drunk Driving.

This anti-drunk-driving campaign aims to inform all Americans
about the dangers of driving after drinking—even after drinking just a little.
Drunk driving is a terrible killer on our nation’s roads. In 2013, 10,076
people were killed in drunk driving crashes. This time of year is especially
dangerous due to holiday celebrations and frequent parties. In December 2013 alone,
there were 733 people killed in crashes involving at least one drunk driver or
motorcycle operator. In 2013, a third (31%) of all crash fatalities in America involved
drunk driving.

So this holiday season, NHTSA urges you to plan ahead:
designate a sober driver. If you plan on drinking at all, don’t plan on
driving. Don’t assume that you’ll know whether you can safely drive or not at
the end of the night.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition would like to
encourage you to avoid making alcohol the main focus of social events this
holiday season. Entertain guests with music, dancing, games, food, and lively
conversation. Did you know that one in
three adults prefers a nonalcoholic beverage? Make sure to offer plenty of
nonalcoholic choices such as sparkling water, fancy juice drinks, soft drinks,
and bottled drinking water. Also provide
guests with nutritious and appealing foods to slow the effects of alcohol. High
protein and carbohydrate foods like cheese and meats are especially good. They
stay in the stomach much longer, which slows the rate at which the body absorbs
alcohol. Avoid salty foods, which encourage people to drink more.

Require bartenders to measure the
correct amount of liquor into drinks (no doubles), and instruct them not to
serve anyone who appears to be impaired. Have the bartender check the ID of
anyone who appears to be under the age of 30 (no ID, no alcohol).

Stop serving drinks at least 1 hour
before the end of the event. Instead,
serve coffee, non-alcoholic beverages, and desserts at that time.

Your responsibility as a host is even
more important when the party is over. Be prepared to offer your guests alternate
forms of transportation, such as: Ask someone who was not drinking to drive a
guest home; Call someone to come and drive them home; Offer your place to spend
the night; If the person insists on driving despite his or her obvious
intoxication, take the keys, ask for help from other guests, or temporarily disable
the car; If all else fails, say you will call the police (and do so).

The following non-alcoholic drink
recipes are a courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
and Join Together, a national resource center for communities working to reduce
substance abuse. Many of these unique
drinks can add “flavor” to your party by giving your guests healthy, tasty
alternatives to alcoholic beverages. Enjoy!

Citrus
Collins

Fill a 10–12 oz. glass with ice cubes

2 oz. orange juice

1 oz. lemon juice

1 oz. flavored syrup

Fill with club soda. Garnish with an
orange slice or a cherry.

Mai
Tai

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup club soda

1 tbsp. cream of coconut

1 tbsp. grenadine syrup

In a shaker or tall glass, combine
ingredients; shake or stir to blend. Add
crushed ice.

Lemon-Strawberry
Punch

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate,
thawed

1 pkg. frozen sliced strawberries

6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate

1 quart carbonated water

1 quart ginger ale

Sliced bananas

Sliced oranges or lemons

Combine frozen lemonade, strawberries
(half-thawed with juice), and orange juice. Place in a punchbowl with ice. Just
before serving, add carbonated water and ginger ale. Garnish with thin slices
of orange, lemon, or banana. Serves 20.

Holiday
Delight

Blend the following ingredients in a
mixer:

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup frozen strawberries

1/4 cup cranapple juice

1/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 banana

Pour into a tall glass.

Viennese
Coffee

Combine:

1/4 cup whipped cream

1 tbsp. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat until stiff. Pour 3 cups of very strong coffee
(decaffeinated is fine) into four cups. Float whipped cream mixture on top.
Garnish with 1/2 tsp. grated orange peel. Use cinnamon sticks in each cup as
servers.